How to sharpen a knife simply and quickly (+3 ways of sharpening with a newspaper, a car window and a mug)

A sharp knife in the kitchen is a faithful helper in cooking. But sooner or later the knife becomes less sharp. Some are lazy or don't know how to sharpen properly and just buy a new knife. It would seem that this procedure could be simpler, but to sharpen the cutlery correctly, few are given.

How to sharpen a knife and keep the blade sharp for a long time?

To understand how to do it correctly, you first need to decide what this or that device is made of.

Ceramic knives. Keeps the edge sharp for a long time, but such a device is fragile. If dropped on a hard floor, the ceramic is likely to burst. Lateral loads cannot withstand, the cutting edge breaks and deteriorates. Blade spots often appear. Sharpening such a knife is not easy. You must have a diamond-coated sharpening block.

Metal (titanium, steel, stainless steel, aluminum). These types of knives can be sharpened many times. If the knife (blade) is of poor quality, you will have to sharpen it often.

Plastic knives. For the manufacture of the blade, a special reinforced plastic is used. The cutting properties of such a device drop sharply over time. It is believed to be a disposable item. You cannot sharpen such a knife.

The sharpening angle also matters. Kitchen knives are sharpened at an angle of 15 degrees. Hunting - 25-30 degrees. Universal tools - 20 gr.

Check if the device requires sharpening you can use paper. We take a regular A4 sheet and try to make an incision.

We hold the sheet with one hand, we cut with the other with a knife. If the tool is sharp, then it cuts the paper smoothly, effortlessly. If the knife is dull, then they will not be able to cut it exactly, or it will tear the paper.

Before sharpening, you can make a mark on the knife with a marker. This trick will help you keep track of the sharpening process.

Better to use a whetstone. Don't buy knife sharpeners. Although it is convenient to use, it sharpens mediocrely and sharpening is not long enough.

Moisten the block a little, place it on a wooden table for better fixation. We make a movement at an angle of 15 degrees. (forward, backward) from 2 sides.

Sharpening tricks (3 unusual ways)

1. They say that you can sharpen a newspaper. It's all about the ink. They act as a lubricant on the metal. The density of the paper (newspaper) also matters.

You just need to fold the newspaper in half and put it on the table and hold it with a knife (the blade is flat) from 2 sides as with ordinary sharpening.

2. It so happens that there are no sharpening tools at hand. Instead of a sharpening stone, the edge of a car window will work. Open the window halfway and, at a certain angle, run the knife along the edge several times without pressing hard. Then repeat on the other side.

3. The bottom of the mug is also good for sharpening.

Turn the ceramic mug over and start sharpening the edge to the desired sharpness of the knife.